1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system and an apparatus for assisting a user in portion control while eating. In particular, embodiments are directed to a system and an apparatus comprising place-setting components that are used to facilitate serving and eating healthy food portions of a meal.
2. Related Art
Recent studies indicate that a very high percentage of Americans are, or are becoming, overweight and/or obese. For example, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has found that over 33 percent of adults in the U.S. are overweight, and more than 35 percent of adults, beyond those 33 percent of overweight adults, are obese. Thus, in total, over two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are either overweight or obese. The likelihood of serious health problems and diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, have been known to increase due to complications associated with being overweight and/or obese. Further, obesity is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. In addition to health-related issues, obesity and being overweight have significant economic issues on Americans and the U.S. population as a whole. For example, such weight-related issues are known to cause increases in medical, insurance, employment, and business costs.
A significant cause of Americans being overweight and/or obese is excessive food consumption. Such excessive food consumption is due, in part, to the size of place-setting components, such as plates, utensils, bowls, cups, or the like. For example, it has been found that plates used in the U.S. to hold food during meals have increased by at least 51 percent since the turn of the 20th century. Because of such a size increase, Americans are prone to completely fill their plates with large portions of food. As such, Americans are encouraged to consume greater amounts of food, leading them to being overweight and/or obese, which ultimately provides a negative impact on their health, finances, and overall well-being.